No, notices or anything on the website to say this was happening, no info at parent info night and no policy that we signed off on either

Them I would very politely make an appointment to talk about your concerns. Ask the teacher what happened in her words and the philosophy behind it. Then take it from there. Unless there is a school wide policy, healthy eating can only be encouraged not enforced. Well, that's my opinion anyway.

Kids getting told off for unhealthy lunches? Points gained for vegetables? Kids upset because they're not sure if their meal is acceptable? Way to go schools for creating the next generation of serious eating disorders disgusting.

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Absolutely crazy. Seriously, I struggle to make sure there's enough food in my ds's lunchbox every day (boys eat SO much food don't they??). I have money to buy decent food & I like to bake so most of the time there is a good and reasonably healthy variety of food in the lunchbox. But, with a young baby, I don't always have fresh bread or fresh fruit on hand 5 days a week (close, but not always), so I have to be creative sometimes as to what goes in the lunchbox. Thankfully there are no rules at my ds's Kinder. They do recommend sending water as the drink of choice, rather than milk or juice, but his Kinder is attached to a school & he can get a lunch order & have flavoured milk from there, so that's a little weird. The canteen has the traffic light system for foods and they are all colourcoded which is great & helpful (he gets 1 lunch order/term if that). My ds has yoghurt in a tub & fruit in jelly in a tub all the time. I even send him with our metal spoons which come home happily in his lunchbag every time. All very uneventful I must say.

I thoroughly support healthy eating, but punishing a child for having an LCM bar or muffin in the lunchbox without knowing the context (maybe it's the first LCM bar or muffin he's ever had and maybe he wouldn't even eat it - who knows??!!) is crazy. Neither is particularly bad at all and just looking at a muffin doesn't tell you what is in it and how healthy it is (sounds like his was quite healthy btw). Kids need food to get through the school day. If the teacher has an issue with a child being sent to school day after day, week after week with ONLY (or mainly) junk food in the lunchbox then it's an issue that needs addressing with the parents. Otherwise, it is so not an issue to be getting involved in.

Public schools and pre-schools that get funding are forced to take measures to meet docs approved foods,

The fold eaten must not exceed a certain amount of sugar / salt / fat per 100 grams (can't remember exactly what the number was, I last worked in childcare in 2009) this rules out alot of tub yogurt and pre packaged snacks

If a child has an item that exceeds the limit then we had to send a note home to the parent and not let the child eat the item.

In my personal opinion as a childcare worker? Its a load of bullsh!t and a pita for the teacher, the parents either don't read the notes or don't care or think gtfo of my kids lunch box you ar$e holes,

Its not our fault but we have to cop the abuse when little john has to take his food home

If docs showed up and the kids had lunch boxes full of cr@p we we're scrutinized about it >:l

I have come across this so many times over the years. I have learnt to go the teacher and Principal and let them know MY children are not to be criticized for what in their lunch boxes ever. I had one of children start a unhealthy relationship with food from programs like this and is no way in hell i will ever go through this again.

I don't back down and remind them That I am parent and I am responsible for what goes in the shopping trolley and what goes in my child's mouths. My children are not allowed to punished in way shape or form for what they do or don't eat.

DD got into trouble last year because in her little box of dried fruit I put in 6 tiny chocolate chips. In amongst her apple, banana, salad sammich, yogurt, museli bar
I was so annoyed by it that every day she went back I made sure those 6 lousy chocolate chips were in her dried fruit and told my daughter that as long as she ate her apple then of course she could eat those chocolate chips.
The last time *i* checked it was my v@gina she came out of and therefore my choice of whether I'm comfortable with *my* daughter eating a tiny bit of chocolate during the day

Surely though the parents, as the guardians and packers of little kids DC lunches, should wear the brunt from DoCS not the DC? DC workers and teachers are not dieticians they are trained in the supervision and education of children. It's not their place nor do they have the qualifications to be so rigid with food rules.

This isn't directed at you btw Nemmi, I understand where you are coming from. But DS started back at pre school this week so it's again an issue in my mind that my parental responsibility is being taken over, all over a muesli bar

I don't agree with the 'punishment' of taking of house points part and but do agree with the trying to encourage healthy eating part, I think the execution of the whole idea shows it was not properly thought out.

How old is your DS? 41kg seems quite big to me?

I would be speaking to the teacher voicing your concerns over this system and if she insists on continuing the reigime asking them to compile a handout of appropriate and non appropriate foods so parents know in advance and their children aren't unnecessarily punished!

To the poster who posted about sending a popper juice everyday I agree that it is not healthy in the slightest and can see why they say water only!

Surely though the parents, as the guardians and packers of little kids DC lunches, should wear the brunt from DoCS not the DC? DC workers and teachers are not dieticians they are trained in the supervision and education of children. It's not their place nor do they have the qualifications to be so rigid with food rules.

This isn't directed at you btw Nemmi, I understand where you are coming from. But DS started back at pre school this week so it's again an issue in my mind that my parental responsibility is being taken over, all over a muesli bar

As a worker we were suppost to tell the child that he or she was not 'allowed' to eat x item and send a note home to a parent,

It was so hard saying to a 3 y/o im sorry john but you can't eat x, so many times the kids were left in tears

The next daycare day john has the chips etc again.

A really crummy situation for the carer to have to be so mean

I agree it is a load of rot but in order to receive govt funding we must enforce these policies

I guess the schools think the parents might stop if they start punishing the kids? (I do not agree at all)

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